ARCHAEOLOGISTS have found a number of carvings near ancient dinosaur footprints in Brazil.
The mysterious carvings are thought to have a hidden meaning to the human ancestors who created them.
The carvings are called petroglyphs and several different designs were found.
They were discovered at the Serrote do Letreiro Site in Brazil’s Paraíba State.
Several dinosaur footprints there date back to the Early Cretaceous Period.
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That was between 145 to 100 million years ago.
Three types of dinosaur groups are said to have made the footprints.
A study regarding the footprints and the nearby carvings has been published in Scientific Reports.
"The three prominent outcrops feature fossilized footprints of theropod, sauropod, and iguanodontian dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous Period.
"Adjacent to these dinosaur tracks, indigenous petroglyphs adorn the surface.
"The petroglyphs, mainly characterized by circular motifs, maintain a striking resemblance to other petroglyphs found in the states of Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte," the researchers wrote.
A large focus of the study was on the relationship between the carvings and the footprints.
The ancient group who carved petroglyphs did so carefully, making sure the dinosaur footprints were not touched.
This suggested to the researchers some "thoughtfulness by the makers."
Its thought the group observed the dinosaur footprints as meaningful and carved the petroglyphs to mark them as such.
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The researchers aren't sure of the exact time period that the carvings date back to
They have suggested a period spanning between 9400 to 2620 years BP.
"“Further research utilising new methods of direct dating of petroglyphs, such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, will certainly shed light on the chronology issue," the researchers wrote.